Gov’t Considers School Fee Relief  For Maila-Affected Students

The Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development (MEHRD) is considering exempting school fees for students whose families were directly affected by Cyclone Maila in Western and Choiseul provinces.

MEHRD Deputy Secretary for Education Services and National Disaster Operations Centre (NDOC) Education Committee Chairman, Christopher Sakiri, said the Ministry is collecting data from Education Providers (EPs) in both provinces to determine the level of support required for affected schools and families.

A total of 18 schools in Western Province, from early childhood to secondary level, were directly affected by the cyclone, impacting 1,741 students.

In Choiseul Province, 23 schools were affected.

“At the moment, MEHRD is relying on the Education Providers and school leaders to provide us with data on the proposed fee exemptions and the estimated cost for each affected school and family,” Sakiri said.

“Once those costs have been consolidated, we will explore ways to support the schools by providing funding to ensure they can continue operating if fee exemptions are approved for affected students,” he added.

_{^{Classroom in one of the impacted communities in Western Province. Credits: MEHRD}}

He acknowledged that if schools lose fee income without receiving government support, some could struggle to remain operational for the rest of the academic year.

“If funding is not provided by the Government, some of these schools could be forced to close before the end of the academic year.”

Choiseul Province Chief Education Officer Henry Deva said his office is compiling the information requested by MEHRD from affected schools.

“We expect to have all the data compiled and submitted to MEHRD by the end of June,” Deva said.

“I understand the Education Provider in Western Province is also gathering information from its affected schools,” he added.

Deva said he is particularly concerned about the province’s four secondary boarding schools, which rely heavily on school fees to fund their daily operations.

“We have four boarding schools in Choiseul that were impacted by the cyclone, and they depend almost entirely on school fees to sustain their administration and operations.

“Our concern is how these schools will remain financially sustainable until the end of the academic year if students are exempted from paying fees.

“At the same time, we understand the hardships faced by parents, especially those who lost everything during the cyclone.

“That is why we look forward to working closely with MEHRD and our partners to find the best way to support our affected schools.”

Western Province Chief Education Officer Samuel Parubule confirmed that all the required information from affected schools in the province has already been submitted to MEHRD.

While MEHRD and the provincial Education Providers continue their education response and recovery efforts, the proposed fee exemption would provide much-needed relief for families still struggling to recover more than two months after Cyclone Maila struck.

The cyclone destroyed homes, personal belongings, water supply systems, food gardens and cash crops, severely affecting the livelihoods of many families.

_{^{Kindergarten class in one of the schools in Western Province. Credits: MEHRD}}

For many communities, these resources were their primary source of income and food security, and rebuilding them will take years.

John Maelagi, Chief of Irigila Village in Vella La Vella, Western Province, said many parents are finding it extremely difficult to pay school fees.

Maelagi, who also chairs the Irigila Disaster Committee, said waiving school fees would ease a significant financial burden and help children continue their education.

“For us, our main source of income is copra. But many coconut plantations were destroyed by the cyclone, so families have lost their livelihoods,” Maelagi said.

“It will take time for us to recover. If MEHRD can provide free education or exempt school fees until the end of the year, we would be very grateful,” he added.

“That would allow our children to continue attending school while helping families focus on rebuilding their lives.”

School fee exemptions for students affected by natural disasters are commonly introduced by governments and education authorities around the world to help ensure children can continue their education during periods of recovery.